January 18, 2008

O Canada!

Omar Khadr's lawyers say they can't understand why Canada is not doing more to help their client in light of new evidence that Ottawa has put the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on a watch list for torture.

And a bit later:

Canada's new focus on torture was ordered by the inquiry into Maher Arar's nightmare in Syria. U.S. authorities sent Arar -- a Canadian of Syrian ancestory -- to Syria after he made a brief stopover in New York in 2002. They wrongly accused him of having links to terrorism in large part because of information provided by the RCMP.

Arar was sent to a Syrian prison where he was tortured for nearly a year. An inquiry into the Arar affair ordered a new focus on torture, and CTV News has learned that, as part of a "torture awareness workshop," diplomats are now being told where to watch for abuse.

The aim of the workshop: to teach diplomats who visit Canadians in foreign jails how to tell if they've been tortured. It also listed countries and places with greater risks of torture. The list includes Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and China. But surprisingly, it also included the United States, Guantanamo Bay, and Israel.

Good company.

When will Canada be joined to dubya's "axis of evil"? I mean you're either with us or against us, right? How long until Canada is seen as a threat?

6 comments:

Anonymous
said...

John K. says: Now how many congressmen have gone to Gitmo and determined that no torture is going on there. My thoughts are that those that praise Canada have still failed to move there after all their threats to do so in Nov 2000 and Nov 2004.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.Here is another thing I am sure you that you will love about Canada.My closing argumentA guy being prosecuted for publishing the Danish Muhammad cartoons.I am sure that this fits with the progressive view of Free Speech.

Mein Heir, we are in agreement on this one. Freedom of speech is an absolute requirement in a liberal democracy. Vermin like Mr. Levant need to be permitted to spew their polarizing, bigotted hatred just as we in America need to permit Nazis, Communists, flag burners, and even Neoconservatives to do their thing. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it is a real pleasure to see a person from your side of the argument espousing the ACLU position. Thank you for your endorsement.

I know that was partially sarcasm, schmuck, but you do know that he'd be all for the prosecution if the shoe were on the other foot, right? If he were a Muslim being prosecuted for making fun of Christianity?

Justin, we can count on Mein Heir to be on the wrong side of most issues. The Right appreciates Freedom of Speech only when it works ironically to repress political expression.

Most of them will call for the beheading of anyone who burns a flag or criticizes the Administration for its various perfidies. But when the other side's ox is being gored, they suddenly discover and cherish the First Amendment.